This invention relates generally to imaging systems and more particularly to systems and methods for identifying a substance.
The events of Sep. 11, 2001 instigated an urgency for more effective and stringent screening of airport baggage. The urgency for security expanded from an inspection of carry-on bags for knives and guns to a complete inspection of checked bags for a range of hazards with particular emphasis upon concealed explosives. X-ray imaging is a widespread technology currently employed for screening. However, it is difficult for existing x-ray baggage scanners, including computed tomography (CT) systems, designed for detection of explosive and illegal substances to validate a plurality of parameters or characteristics of the substances.
A plurality of identification systems based on a plurality of x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques provide an improved discrimination of materials compared to that provided by the x-ray baggage scanners. The XRD identification systems measure a plurality of d-spacings between a plurality of lattice planes of micro-crystals in materials. However, it is difficult for the XRD identification systems to validate the parameters of the materials.